New ABC sitcom 'Man Up!' debuts

The new ABC sitcom "Man Up!" is riding the fall TV season's most clueless trend -- clueless dudes -- and debuts at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 18) on WGNO. This post contains my take (repurposed) from the September 18 Times-Picayune Fall TV Preview, a value-added bonus quote from someone involved in the show, helpful links, perhaps a video clip, for sure a sampling of opinions from other critics, and, as always, a nurturing comments section way down below where your opinion is welcome and, once deposited, certain to be treated with respect and dignity by your fellow comment-stream contributors.

I say: One of several new series to drink from the apparently bottomless beer-tap of male cluelessness, and this is the one I like least.

Alternative title: “Dude, Where’s My Brain?”

Summer TV Tour quote: "We are a generation that has a war, and we are just fortunate enough to we have the luxury of other people volunteering and doing that for us so we can make a show about the silly antics of three guys in Ohio," Moynihan said. "Our grandfathers and our fathers, they had they didn’t have the luxury of people volunteering to do it. They were drawn, and they were drafted, and they were made to do it. ... I think we’re starting to socialize and civilize men to the point where, you know, let’s be fair, there’s a lot of product in my hair right now that my father, at 38 years old, would never have had this much stuff in his hair."

To be clear, if you're pining for the next great male sitcom, this isn't it.

While some of the characters aren't horrible, there are way too many cliches packed into the wider premise, which is: Modern men are emasculated idiots. That may very well be true. It's also true to say the sky is blue, but that on its own would not make for a great TV show.

Dave Walker can be reached at dwalker@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3429. Read more TV coverage at nola.com/tv. Follow him at twitter.com/davewalkertp.